On the last day, Bangladesh were three wickets away from winning, but the Afghans made it a walk in the park. They had their one-off Test in the UAE end in a draw at 346/8 in the fourth innings, leaving Bangladesh to marvel at what they failed to achieve as opposed to what they did.
The visitors had set the target of 479 for Afghanistan and the follow-on looked like it was slipping out of their fingers when they reached 281/7. Bangladesh had just 23 balls to bowl away the last three wickets. Rather, Afghanistan put up a fight and came up short of the clock.
The distinction was because of Afghanistan’s capability to maintain the ball after the fall of their key wickets. Qais Ahmed was one of the major figures in that opposition, who finished unbeaten on 49. During the time when every delivery could be a decider, his survival was an embarrassment for Bangladesh.
Sediqullah Atal had given much needed impetus to Afghanistan’s fightback with 111 from 332 balls earlier. His first 100 balls took time, took pressure and kept the chase alive long enough for the lower order to make a last stand. Taijul Islam finally stopped the game but the breakthrough had come late enough for Bangladesh to complete the game.
The missed opportunities did not make it any easier in Bangladesh. The delivery of a bails-displacing inside edge was met by a Yamin Ahmadzai who survived, while two run-out chances failed to make it on consecutive deliveries. There were also two dropouts for Qais, offering him additional opportunities to extend the game.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted that the opportunities his team created were not utilised to the best of their ability. He also acknowledged the grit of the Afghan batsmen as they made the tough fourth innings chase happen.
The pitch made the situation more challenging. The surface was well suited for the determined batters to hold on to it for long periods, though the spinners did get some help later on. Bangladesh thus required accuracy in shooting as well as discipline in handling the ball.
There was a bigger good for the homeland of Bangladesh. Najmul noted that his team hardly ever sees the fifth day of a Test match in which the game is still undecided. It is important for them to learn about being able to maintain concentration when tired and how to convert occasional opportunities to wickets in future assignments.
Having learnt and carried away the lessons and frustrations from the UAE series, Bangladesh will now focus on the upcoming West Indies series. But Afghanistan can take some comfort from a pursuit that did not rely on a reckless adventure.
Bangladesh didn’t lack in effort for the draw decision. It was all about their inability to make every dismissal count when they lost control—and Afghanistan’s fight to make the last three work.